(ARCHIVED) Littlest Pet Shop: Blame the Fame
by Gamaroc
Summary: (Temporarily discontinued for now. I would advise not to read, as I will rewrite the story and renewed it in the future)
1. Warning

Hello. Thank you for having interest in reading this story. However, this story takes place after season 4, episode 26 in the TV show. Reading this story may contain spoilers for you if you haven't watched the episodes up to season 4, episode 26. I have also temporarily discontinued this story, so I advise you not to read it. It is still up for archive purposes. However, I will continue this story in the future. Thank you for reading.


	2. The news

It was a tremendous success at the grand opening of Littlest Pet Street, and everybody was happy about it of course… well, except for the Biskit family, considering that they are clearly losing the competition now. Any who, it was pretty much thanks to Blythe for featuring a celebrity in the grand opening, which is literally the only reason why most people came. This celebrity, as you may already know, is a cat; a cat that earned its huge fame by starring in fail videos online. Everyone liked it because she was adorable! No wonder this cat's latest video had almost a billion views. It probably has over a billion views by now anyway. This cat is Felina Meow.

She was a mean and bossy cat who wanted everything her way. She was supposed to be at Downtown city, but was at another city instead. So, she was visited by her entourage, who were Blythe and some of the Littlest Pet Shop pets! They all took Felina with them to Downtown city to attend the grand opening of Littlest Pet Street. Felina gave everyone a tough time during the journey to Downtown city. However, after watching the Littlest Pet Shop pets have so much fun and were happy together, she felt bad and was convinced to turn over a new leaf. When they all returned to Downtown city to attend the grand opening, she wanted to walk on the red carpet with her entourage, which she addressed as friends. So, goodbye, mean and bossy Felina Meow! And hello, new and improved Felina Meow!

Don't worry. This isn't the last time we'll see her…

It has now been a week after the grand opening of the Littlest Pet Street, and the pets were going through their normal routine at the Littlest Pet Shop day camp. Penny Ling was chewing off bamboo while enjoying the scenery of the day camp, Vinnie and Sunil were watching advertisements on television, Pepper was performing jokes in front of Zoe and Minka. And lastly, there is Russell, away from all the other pets, reading a book while relaxing in a comfy pillow. He was somewhere where no pet could interrupt him: behind the large, purple armchair. But something wasn't right with him now.

Unlike the other pets in the day camp, Russell felt so bored with what he was doing! Sure, he likes the book he's currently reading now, but this is the fourth time he's reading it! He didn't have a better hobby to do. Does he have any other book to read? Well, yeah, he does. In fact, recently, Blythe has given Russell a few of her books to borrow and read for a while, which was very nice and considerate of her. The bad news, however, was that Blythe's books were romantic drama books, and he was clearly not into THAT sort of stuff! No, he's more interested in detective and mystery books. Why else does he like being a detective himself? But he accepted these books any way because he didn't want to disrespect her taste; he understood why she likes these books. After all, it's good to out try other kinds of things for a change.

Russell just stopped reading and groaned in boredom as he looked over to his side to see the stack of books that Blythe had lent him. Some of them were even glittery and pink! _Eugh!_ Those romance books are just sitting over there, not being read by him. _Should I read them?_ He thought to himself. _I might not even like them._

He took a few seconds to come up with a decision, until his thoughts were interrupted by a sound in the distance. That sounds like laughter! Russell wanted to investigate, but he glanced at Blythe's books one more time. _I guess I can think about them later_ , he thought and rushed away from behind the armchair to see where the sound was coming from. It came from a slightly higher platform next to the big window.

It was Zoe and Minka, both laughing as they were covered in pistachio; Pepper sprayed the pistachio at them with her flower.

"I'll be honest," Zoe said between chuckles, "It's been a while since you've used pistachio."

"Hey!" Russell called them from the distance, "What's up?"

The others looked at Russell. "Hi, Russell. I've heard that not using your jokes for a while can make them funny again in the future." Pepper stated. "I didn't use pistachio in forever, so that's why Zoe and Minka are covered in it! Wanna try?"

Russell scoffed; why would he ever want to be covered in pistachio when he practically defines the opposite of messy. "No way."

Zoe rolled her eyes and nudged Pepper, signaling her to hand her the flower. Pepper winked and handed Zoe the flower. Then, at the most unexpected time, Zoe used the flower and covered Russell in pistachio! He was shocked, but then his surprise just turned into laughter. _It actually is pretty funny when you haven't used pistachio in a while_ , he thought.

Minka laughed, but she suddenly had an idea! She felt the texture of the pistachio she was covered in, and was sure that her idea would work! "This would go great as paint!" She yelled, then she snatched the flower off Zoe's paw and jumped away, leaving the three pets confused.

"I don't think Minka's plan will work." Zoe commented. Pepper and Russell nodded as they both agreed with her. Just then, they were called by Vinnie.

"Guys! You need to see this!"

The three pets and Minka hurried over to Vinnie and Sunil, who were watching TV. Penny Ling also approached the group. "What is it?!" asked Russell.

"It's on the television." Sunil responded.

All the pets looked up at the TV; it's the news, and it seems like they are commenting on the Littlest Pet Street. There is a news reporter on TV, and she's talking. "Good morning, and welcome to the Downtown City news central, where news is delivered to your television. Today's news is based on the grand opening of Littlest Pet Street, which has been an immense success. It is a small street, that offers a variety of shops and different facilities for both owners and pets to enjoy. Additionally, a guest star has appeared in the grand opening, who is the adorable cat who has recently hit a billion views online. She is Felina Meow."

The pets looked at the TV and recognized the name. "Oh! Felina! She was quite friendly." Commented Penny Ling.

"And she is so adorable!" Minka said, "If she ever comes here, I'm going to make a portrait especially for her!"

"It's not going to be just random paint splattered onto the canvas, will it?" Pepper asked, "Paint it like how you painted us with Blythe, with the emotionless colors and big eyes."

"Don't call it _random paint splatter_!" Minka said, "All of my work is art! The paint splatter has meaning! And the painting with Blythe and the pets just… freak me out. The eyes look like they're staring into my soul…"

"Which is exactly why we all loved the painting." Argued Russell, "You _do_ want Felina to love the painting too, don't you?"

"Well, I guess." Minka said with a sigh, "But it's not like she'd come to the day camp anyway."

"You can say that again." Zoe said with slight anger in her voice, "That overrated cat is probably too arrogant to think about being here anyway."

Zoe started unintentionally growling in anger; she was a dog, what do you expect? It was because she was so jealous and hated Felina. The pets looked at Zoe with a concerned look. "Don't tell me your still jealous of that cat, Zoe." Pepper said. She remembered when they all watched one of Felina's videos online, and Zoe was the only one who disapproved, whereas everyone else went "Aww."

Zoe didn't like her ever since she saw the video, she was in fact jealous. She must've been jealous because the cat was so famous unlike Zoe. And Felina didn't even need to put effort in it.

"Me? Jealous?" Zoe asked in anger, as if the pets were heavily annoying her. The worst part is that her tone gets even angrier as she continues. "Jealous?!" She repeated in a more furious tone. "JEALOUS OF FELINA MEOW?!"

The other pets glanced at each other, feeling scared to how Zoe's reacting. She was growling so hard right now, it's unbelievable. She's never felt so jealous before. It's all because of the cute, little accidents Felina makes that makes her so overrated and famous. Furthermore, she was the reason why most people came to the grand opening of Littlest Pet Street in the first place. The cat only made tiny accidents in videos and became huge and popular. And Zoe's worked a lot harder than her as Zoe was a poser and even a contender at Terriers and Tiaras… but she got hardly any fame in return. It was so unfair! Without realizing, she lashed out at her friends because she was so overwhelmed by uncontrollable anger!

"OF COURSE, I'M FUCKING JEALOUS OF THAT BITCH!" Zoe snapped furiously! This kind of language shocked the pets greatly, but Zoe continued raging. "That stupid cat literally had to only fall off tables and pianos and make an adorable face and meow! THAT has gotten her billions of views! THAT has gotten her famous and attracted everyone to the grand opening of Littlest Pet Street! THAT is totally unfair! Do you know how hard I work onstage, showing off my fashion and doing my striking poses, even at Terriers and Tiaras?! HOW CAN MY ARDUOUS WORK NOT MAKE ME AS LIKABLE AS THAT FUC-"

Just then, Zoe stopped talking immediately, as she realized what she was doing. She looked at her friends, who seemed scared of her now.

"I-I'm sorry…" Zoe admitted softly, "I'm… terribly sorry for my bad language and anger… It's just… I've worked so much harder, and people don't notice it."

"It's alright, Zoe… But we all notice your work." Penny Ling said with a smile. "That's all that matters, right?"

"That's right." Sunil agreed, "And it does take a lot of patience for others to notice it too."

Zoe was still furiously jealous of Felina, but having her friends around really makes a difference. "T-Thanks, guys. I really needed to hear that." She thanked with a smile and sighed.

"You guys do know that the new is still on TV, right?" Asked Vinnie. "Why are you all still talking?!"

"Oh, right."

The pets turned to the TV and continued watching the news reporter speaking. "The grand opening has been a success indeed. However, while the owners of Felina Meow are still abroad, the celebrity cat is unable to return to her owners."

The pets suddenly gasped at the TV. "W-what does that mean? Does that mean Felina is staying here?!" Minka asked in surprise and curiosity.

"I think so, Minka." Responded Pepper, sounding concerned.

The news reporter continued talking. "Her return to the owners will have to be delayed by at least a few weeks. This is because there has been a recent weather report that has caused a plane to crash-land on an island. This plane goes by the name _Pet Jet_."

All the pets were shocked, and so was Pepper. "The Pet Jet?! Roger's plane crashed?! Russell, Penny Ling, Minka, Sunil! You guys were on that plane too! What happened?!"

"Long story short," Russell said, "You see, while I was on the Pet Jet with Blythe and the others, I was hoping for an accident to happen because I thought that it would make a great scene for the film we were producing for the grand opening of Littlest Pet Street."

"I see. So, you jinxed it, didn't you?" Pepper said with an unamused expression.

Russell chuckled embarrassingly, "I guess. And then the harsh weather caused us to crash-land onto an island. Luckily, we had a plan! We turned the plane into a boat, had a rhino push us into the water, and then had a whale take the boat to Downtown City."

"What?! Well… thank goodness you guys are okay." Pepper said. She never knew what she'd do if the others never made it back. "By the way, what was a rhino doing on an island?"

"I have no idea."

The pets continued watching the news reporter on the TV and she continued talking. "Due to the incident that has occurred to this Pet Jet, nobody is permitted to use oversea transportation until it is confirmed that both the weather and transport vehicles are safe again. Luckily, the Pet Jet has been recently found, and is currently being restored and repaired at the Downtown airport. The shortest time for confirmation of safety is three weeks. Because of this incident, Felina Meow should remain in Downtown City for now until it is confirmed that she can return safely. The location of where she will stay in the meantime will not be told on air to allow privacy for the cat. This is Downtown City news, and thank you for listening."

The news on TV ended, and then the pets glanced at each other in silence. This was shocking news. Where on earth is Felina Meow going to stay?! What if she's in danger?!

The silence was then broken as soon as Blythe enters the day camp through the door.

"Blythe!" The pets yelled as they all approached her hastily and felt partially relieved.

"Hey, guys!" Blythe greeted. "What's going on?"

"Did you hear the news?" Russell asked with concern.

"Yeah." Blythe responded. "What about it?"

"W-Where's Felina going to stay? Do you know?" Minka asked desperately; she really wanted to paint her a picture.

"As a matter of fact, I _do_ know." Blythe happily announced with a smile. "Pets, I have good news; Felina Meow is going to stay right here at the Littlest Pet Shop for at least three weeks!"

The pets were happy and relieved to hear that; at least the cat wasn't in danger. Minka was also excited, and just cheered and jumped all over the place. "Well, I'm sure we can all make her feel at home." Russell assured.

"I'm trusting you to that, Russell." Blythe said, but then noticed something strange. "…Zoe? Are you alright?"

Zoe was shocked, but realized she was asked a question, then looked at Blythe. "Oh! Um, I'm ok."

Blythe sighed in relief. "Great. Well, Felina is due to be here in a few minutes. She's disguised so that no one can recognize her. How cool is that?!"

"That is pretty cool, I guess." Sunil said. "But is it THAT big of a deal? So, what if she is recognized on the streets?"

"Then the people might secretly follow her to the Littlest Pet Shop, and then share the news with others about the fact that she's staying at Littlest Pet Shop. Then this place will get crowded with Felina's fans. We don't want that, do we?"

"I guess not. That makes sense."

"Good. Well, I'm gonna go to my room now and wait for Youngmee to arrive. She'll be carrying Felina over here too. If anyone needs me, just let me know, ok?"

The pets nodded as they understood, and Blythe proceeded towards the dumb waiter and got in it. Then she used it to take herself to her room. Quite efficient if you ask me.

Meanwhile, the other pets were concerned about the dog. "Zoe?" Russell said softly, "I know how you're feeling right now, but don't worry. Felina will only be here for a while, and then she'll be on her way."

"Ok." Zoe said. But deep inside, she knew she didn't want to even look at Felina. Russell nodded, thinking that everything will go fine between her and the cat. The other pets decided to go back and do what they were doing earlier.

Zoe didn't want Felina to be here. But this was something she had to get through. Let's admit it, Zoe is going to see Felina sooner or later.

Looks like Felina is on her way to the day camp! And it looks like she'll be part of the gang! …for a while.

Russell returned to the place behind the purple armchair, where he recently was, and feeling quite excited! _This is great_ , he thought. _A celebrity is going to be a day camper! This isn't the first time we've seen a celebrity pet before though. Of course, she'll turn out better than Shahrukh, because she's turned over a new leaf unlike him._

As excited as Russell was, he spots the piles of books that Blythe lent him, and his excitement was then killed. He didn't like romantic drama books, but he can't judge them, because he hasn't given them a go yet. He wants to try them, but at the same time, he doesn't. _I guess I'll just read these romance books when I feel like it_ , he finally decided, then sat on his pillow and continued reading his own book.


	3. The new day camper

The pets are in the Littlest Pet Shop, quite eager to see Felina once she arrives. Which is quite surprising, but it was good news, considering that this is Felina's chance to get to know about the pets more personally. It is exciting for her; she's hasn't had a friend in forever! It's exciting, but understandably scary.

Youngmee was walking across the street, carrying the disguised Felina in her arms. She realized she's carrying the _real_ celebrity in her hands. It reminded her of that extremely exhausting time when Blythe didn't answer any of her phone calls before the grand opening of Littlest Pet Street, and it was up to Youngmee to try to fool the audiences by disguising the Littlest Pet Shop pets as her instead. It didn't work out well; having Zoe disguised was the worst idea. Honestly, what dog would ever play out as a cat?! And having Pepper wear the costume wouldn't have worked either, since her tail is too big compared to Felina's, and Pepper can release a stench when she's nervous; not a thing that cats do of course. And how about when Vinnie was pretending to look like Felina? Well, he didn't get the chance to be in front of the audience because Blythe arrived at that moment. All she can say is that Vinnie looked nothing like Felina at all. Somehow, Youngmee sometimes wondered how Vinnie would've played it out if Blythe didn't arrive. It would've been hilarious, but we'll never know…

Felina was wearing sunglasses and a pink, round hat that was large enough for her body to be in its shadow. Nobody would recognize the celebrity cat, so things are going per plan. But how is she feeling about staying at the Littlest Pet Shop? She's excited, but scared simultaneously. It's been a long time since she had a friend, and it seems like she'll make new ones today. It feels like a new experience already.

Youngmee stopped outside the Littlest Pet Shop, feeling relieved that she's made it to the shop without exposing the cat to the public. Well, at least she thought so. Any who, she said to Felina "This is it. Won't it be exciting to meet those pets again?"

Felina nodded, trying to look unamused, but she did feel intrigued; she wanted to know how else these pets had fun. Youngmee understood the cat because of her nod, and so she stepped in the pet shop with Felina.

In the day camp, the pets in the room suddenly heard a ring coming from the door; it meant that someone has entered the pet shop. And it seems like Youngmee has arrived.

"She's here! She's here! She's here!" yelled Minka repeatedly as she jumped all over the day camp in excitement. The other pets tried to prepare themselves so they can introduce themselves properly because they were only Felina's entourage when they first met, so the pets didn't get to know her personally and vice versa. Russell commanded the pets to line up in front of the door and he joined in the line too. Zoe was also in the line, feeling very nervous. A pet that she hated for being overrated is going to stay here for at least three weeks. This is going to be a long ride…

In a few seconds, Youngmee finally enters the day camp area, but what she carried in her hands caught the eyes of the pets… it was Felina Meow!

"Hey, guys!" Youngmee greeted happily, "Blythe might have told you earlier that Felina would be staying here for a few weeks, so I brought her here. I'm sure she'll have a wonderful time here; don't you all think?"

The pets cheered, and while Youngmee couldn't verbally understand the pets, she easily figured that they were excited for her to be here. She placed Felina gently on the ground, and said "I'm on my way to hang out in Blythe's room now. Have fun, guys!"

Youngmee leaves the pets alone as she leaves the day camp through the door and goes to Blythe's room. The pets in the day camp looked at Felina with joy; they wanted their new friend (Felina) to enjoy her time in here. Has she even been in a day camp before? Felina takes off her hat and sunglasses and then looks at the other pets with a smile. She felt excited as she could spend time with other pets; she hasn't done so in forever!

Russell was the first as usual to greet the cat, "Welcome back, Felina!"

"Hi guys!" Felina said back with a smile. "It really is great to be here." She was happy because instead of waiting elsewhere until her journey is confirmed to be safe, she could wait with pets that she was familiar with. These day camp pets were no longer her _lame_ entourage; these pets were her _entourage of friends_.

"I'm glad to hear that. We heard about what happened, and we're sorry to hear that you can't return to your owners right now. But don't worry, I'm sure you'll enjoy your time. We're all so happy that you're going to stay here!" Russell said with a smile.

"…For a while." Zoe added with a slight glare. Russell then nudged Zoe, signaling her to be more respectful to their guest. Luckily, Felina didn't notice Zoe's glare. The other pets made sounds of joy as they agreed with what Russell said; they were sure Felina would have a blast!

Penny Ling gasped happily as she walked over to the cat. "I love your hat! It's so cute!"

"Thank you. I really love it too." Felina thanked.

"…It must cost a lot, doesn't it?" Zoe muttered and growled quietly. Clearly, she didn't get Russell's message earlier. Felina then noticed Zoe growling and it made her feel quite uncomfortable, especially because she was still in the process of a greeting. Then Russell noticed that Felina was feeling uncomfortable, and it must've been because of Zoe's growl. He couldn't take it anymore and just had to deal with Zoe for now.

"You'll have to excuse us." Russell said to Felina with a forced smile, then he grabbed Zoe's paw and took her elsewhere where they couldn't be seen: behind the purple armchair.

"Is she alright?" Felina asked as she watched the two pets walk away. The other pets didn't want to admit that one pet in the day camp was insanely jealous of the cat, so they just shrugged awkwardly as if they had no idea what was wrong with Zoe.

Russell then gradually let go of Zoe's paw as they reached their destination. Russell was the voice of reason, so he knows how to calm one down. "Zoe, what were you thinking? I thought we talked about this earlier." He said in a reasonably quiet tone; he only wanted Zoe to hear him.

"I'm sorry. I just can't handle it, darling." Zoe admitted and apologized as she calmed down a little bit, "I'm just so mad at her. Did you hear what she just said, Russell?! She said she _loves_ the hat!"

"Yes, I heard that… So, what if she says that?"

"It's like she's implying that she's showing off with the hat, because no one else can afford that hat but her. That's what all celebrities do, Russell!" Zoe responded in a slightly louder tone.

Russell replied in the same quiet tone. "Ok, well first, that implication has absolutely no relation to the fact that she likes the hat. Isn't liking something the only reason why someone would buy it?"

Zoe widened her eyes a bit; she realized she may have overreacted a little. People do buy things they like after all, and it made sense to buy for that reason. "Oh… I see what you mean."

Russell knew he was going towards the right direction with this. "And second, she's only a guest. So, we need to make sure she enjoys her time here. Like I said, it'll only be for a while."

Zoe gradually sighed. _Maybe it is worth trying to be kind to the celebrity for a few weeks_. "Fine… I'll try and be nice."

"That's the spirit, Zoe." Russell said with a smile. "I'm sure you two will get along anyway. If you want, you can just pretend she's not even here! That's alright unless she interacts with you, then stop pretending and acknowledge her existence. Ok?"

"Ok." Zoe said. Her blue eyes looked around and then spotted a pile of pink books nearby. "Whose books are those?"

"Oh, those are from Blythe; she lent them to me a few days ago," Russell answered, "I don't think I'll read them, that kind of books isn't really my thing."

"Why did she lend them to you?"

"I was looking for more books to read, and those are the only ones Blythe had."

"Oh, that was nice of her to give them to you." Zoe said and focused on one of the pink books. "These are romance novels."

"Yup. And that's why I probably won't read them."

"Sweetheart, have you read a romance novel before?"

"No, I haven't… And don't call me _sweetheart._ "

Zoe turned to Russell and asked him with a sly smile. "Why can't I?"

Russell crossed his arms and looked at her with an unamused expression; he didn't need to explain why she shouldn't. And this caused Zoe to chuckle. She said "Anyway, I think you really should give this book a try, darling. Try different things, and you may find what you really like."

Russell couldn't argue with that; people's interests were always founded when people went through new experiences; these interests don't just come on their own. "You know what? You're right, Zoe. Maybe I'll try and read them sometime today."

"Great! And when you're done, you can let me know your thoughts about it."

"Will do."

The two pets then decided to leave behind the purple armchair and approach Felina and the others again.

"Sorry for wasting your time." Russell apologized to the celebrity cat.

"It's alright, Russell." Felina said calmly.

Russell smiled. Zoe had to be respectful as Russell said earlier, but she just twitched her ears slightly as she stood in front of the celebrity cat; she tried to resist her anger, and forced her paw out to Felina to do a paw shake. Felina smiled and shook her paw.

Russell felt proud of Zoe as he watched them paw shaking. _That's the spirit, Zoe! I'm sure you and Felina will get along; it is only a matter of time._

Felina finished shaking Zoe's paw. And Russell continued his speech, "We hope you have a wonderful time at Littlest Pet Shop, Felina. Food and water is over there by the corner, the pet toys are over there near the tree, and there are pillows nearby to nap on, and there's also a TV over here so you can watch your shows. If you are concerned with anything or would like to talk about anything, you can just let me know. I'll be behind that purple armchair over there, Felina."

"Ok." Felina said. _Russell seems very helpful and friendly_ , she thought happily.

Minka suddenly jumped in front of the cat and startled her even though Minka was in her sight the whole time. "Hey!" She said loudly, "I've been wanting to paint you a picture, will you come and let me paint a picture of you?!"

"Really? Ok!" Felina agreed excitedly, then Minka hastily grabbed the cat's paw and swiftly took her towards the swing where she can paint. This cat could tell for sure she was about to have an interesting day.

With the celebrity cat occupied by a pink monkey for now, Russell was relieved and turned to the other pets to remind them of what was happening now. "Well, it's great that she's here now. But let's not put her in any pressure, and let's not annoy her at all. Let her feel comfortable, and let her do what she wants, and respect her as much as possible; we want Felina to enjoy her time here until she can return. Ok?"

The pets nodded as they understood Russell. Zoe nodded too, but she secretly felt doubtful; being kind to someone she's deeply jealous of was much harder than she expected. _I honestly don't know how long I can keep up this kindness for…_


	4. Sweetness and Care

Felina was on top of a swing while Minka was on a different platform nearby. Minka was in front of an empty canvas, ready to paint Felina on the swing. The cat was laying on top of the wheel, displaying her adorable face like she usually does in her online videos. Minka said "Aww" just before starting to paint on the canvas. She remembered when Pepper and Russell advised her to paint it the same way she painted Blythe and the pets with the creepy eyes. They thought that Felina might like it too. Minka didn't want to do that; it might make the other painting with Blythe and the pets seem less valuable. This portrait needs to be one of a kind. She tried to think hard and come up with a way to paint the portrait.

"What kind of art style do you like?" Minka asked.

Felina thought about it for a few seconds; she's hasn't been asked that question in a while. "Well… I like lots of lights and sparkles and huge eyes! An art style that makes me look like a role model!"

Minka understood as soon as Felina mentioned "huge eyes", it was like the painting with Blythe and the pets. _Those creepy, soulless eyes…_ Guess she'll have to paint it in the same way she painted Blythe and the pets, but this time, the eyes need to be shiny and look alive. And this time, she also needs to add lights and sparkles to the painting. And to make her look like a role model…

Meanwhile, Russell was back in the area behind the purple armchair, sitting on the pillow and reading the book he's read so many times. He remembered Zoe suggesting him to try out the romance books. He looked at the pile, and decided to stop reading the book in his hands. Russell sat up on the pillow, thinking hard about whether he should read the pink book or not.

 _If Blythe likes these books, then what's not to like about them?_ He thought. _She does have a great taste after all._ The hedgehog kept on thinking, and thinking, and thinking…

Meanwhile, Minka went ahead and painted Felina who's still holding her pose while being on top of the swing.

…And after a few minutes later, the monkey was finally done! Felina sighed in relief because she was eager to see the painting. However, she doesn't expect it to look _that_ jaw dropping; she still hasn't got grand expectations of others, just like how the _old Felina_ didn't have grand expectations of others as well. Minka wipes the sweat off her forehead; _this was tough,_ she thought, _but hopefully, Felina will like it!_

Minka took the canvas and got off the platform onto the ground. Felina got off the swing and approached her to see the canvas. Minka then turned the canvas around, allowing her to see the completed illustration. Felina's eyes widened.

It was so unique, it was so interesting, it was so… special… Felina sees herself in the painting in a night sky background with bright stars. They blended nicely with the pink and white cat. The painting had her have huge, colorful eyes! It seemed like Minka wanted to bring vivid life to the painting, so she went for rainbow colored eyes. It looked beautiful! And then she saw that her portrait had a small, but sweet smile. The smile was a lot smaller than her multi-colored eyes, but it also made the portrait look adorable! This face on the portrait was the face Felina normally makes after she has a small accident in her online fail videos. Minka must've worked her monkey butt off when she was composing this. This wasn't just any ordinary painting… it was a masterpiece that should place Minka on the Hall of Fame in a flash. The painting was fantastic; it was beautiful…

Felina LOVED IT!

"Minka… I absolutely love it!" She said out loud in joy!

Minka was so relieved about it and handed Felina the canvas to keep; she's been so worried sick about whether Felina would like it. But before Minka could say anything, she sighed deeply and fell fast asleep right in front of the cat; she spent too much energy worrying and making the painting perfect. Monkeys do need rest too; you know?

Felina was confused about her falling asleep. _I guess she's too tired_ , she figured. _Oh well, at least I can keep this painting, it looks amazing._ Felina realized she should seriously have much higher expectations of other pets. She honestly never expected Minka to illustrate such a masterpiece. _It was sweet of her to make this painting for me,_ she thought. _She seemed active and ongoing too, I think I'll hang out with her more later._

 _Let's see what the other pets are up to_ , she thought as she felt quite bored now. Felina placed her portrait behind the tree to keep it safe, and headed out to look for other pets to interact with. The other pets were doing their normal thing around the day camp.

She sees Penny Ling in the distance, resting on a large pillow and chewing off bamboo. Penny Ling is such a sweet pet. Felina thought _why not join her?_

"Hi, Penny Ling." Felina greeted as she sat next to Penny Ling on the pillow.

"Hi!" Penny Ling said cheerfully. "How was Minka's painting?"

"It is so amazing. The large eyes on the painting looked so beautiful! But then… Minka suddenly fell asleep."

Penny Ling just giggled, "Don't worry about it, Felina. I'm sure Minka worked so hard on it and was just so stressed lately because she was so worried and thought you wouldn't like it. I guess she's so relieved now and fell asleep."

That made sense to the cat. It was nice to know that the monkey cared about her opinion. "Really? That's sweet."

"Yeah. Hey, want some bamboo?" Penny Ling asked.

Felina normally ate expensive and high quality food back home, such as exclusively golden steak and limited edition cat food. Her diet has always been expensive and high quality food. She hasn't eaten anything like bamboo before, but it seemed like a valuable experience to try out.

"Well… ok." She said, and took a bite from Penny Ling's bamboo stick and swallowed it.

Her taste buds didn't admire the taste of the bamboo, probably because she was a cat. Her stomach was not used to bamboo, and her body instantly rejected the eaten bamboo. The eaten bamboo in Felina's body was starting to go back up her throat; she was going to barf! Felina had to leave now! ASAP!

Felina covered her mouth, then quickly got up and ran away from Penny Ling, leaving her concerned. _I guess she doesn't like bamboo_ , Penny Ling thought. _I hope she's alright. I feel bad, I shouldn't have asked her to try it…_

The cat sprinted outside the pet shop and into the alleyway where the dumpster was. She got on top of the dumpster and vomited in it. The bamboo tasted bad, and it tasted a lot worse when the bamboo _left_ her mouth.

After she finished, she felt better. _I seriously need to stick to my regular intakes_ , she thought. And by regular intakes, she meant expensive and high quality food. How is she going to survive in the pet shop for at least three weeks if she doesn't have the appropriate supplies?! Oh well, hopefully, bamboo may be the _only_ thing she doesn't like. Felina returned to the day camp and saw Penny Ling who was worried sick.

"Are you alright?!" Penny Ling asked worriedly and hugged Felina with care, "I'm so sorry for making you ill!"

"It's alright, it wasn't your fault." She stated calmly. "I feel better now anyway… I-It was nice talking."

Penny Ling smiled in relief and walked away as she said "Anytime. I'm just glad you feel better."

Felina was still gagging on the bamboo she recently ate; traces of it were still in her mouth. _Hopefully I never have to eat bamboo again for the rest of my life_ , she noted. But so far, her day was interesting; she has a beautiful painting of herself painted by Minka, and she tried Penny Ling's bamboo stick. Felina also realized that so far, these pets are being very nice and caring to her, and it made her smile. She never got personal time with the pets in her past because she is a celebrity and her owners were too afraid because they thought any sort of interaction with other pets may ruin the cat's delicacy, or even fame. But she can do what she wants now. Besides, casual communication doesn't seem as hard as she previously thought.

 _Penny Ling is a very sweet pet_ , she thought happily. _She doesn't deserve the blame for me being sick. I'll hang out with her more next time, she seems great to be around. I'm gonna look for other pets to hang out with._

Felina walked around the day camp and sees Vinnie and Sunil nearby watching TV. Right now, they're watching a bunch of robots attacking each other. The mongoose and the gecko both seemed like they were enjoying the show, and it looked interesting to her as well, so she approached them.

"Hi, guys." She greeted as she sat next to Vinnie and Sunil.

"Hello." Sunil said, "How was Minka's painting? Did you like it?"

"I loved it. But I didn't know she could paint so well."

"Well she _is_ the artist of the gang. It's great that you loved it." Sunil said proudly. "I am the magician of the gang, and Vinnie over here is the dancer. Well… him and Penny Ling are both dancers."

"Nice variety." Felina commented as she was sitting next to the mongoose and gecko, and watched the fighting robots on the screen. Sunil realized that she was looking at the TV too and they were watching robots fighting each other.

 _I don't think Felina would want to watch something like that_ , Sunil thought. Sunil figured that she probably approached them in the first place because she wanted to watch some TV too.

Sunil turned to Vinnie to let him know that they should probably let Felina watch TV now, but Vinnie was drooling while staring at the TV; he was in the zone right now. Sunil sighed and decided to press the mute button on the remote in front of them and then the TV turned silent, making Vinnie wake up and realize he's still in the pet shop.

"Vinnie." Sunil said, "I think Felina would like to watch some TV."

"Oh, right!" Vinnie said. He handed Felina the TV remote, Felina felt confused. It was nice of them to let her watch. But weren't they enjoying their show just a few seconds ago? She didn't even ask for the remote anyway.

"…It's alright, thanks. You two can watch." Felina insisted with a smile.

"We both insist!" Sunil said, "You are the guest in the day camp after all, Felina."

"I guess. Thanks." Felina said, finally possessing the remote she was handed. _It's_ _so nice of them to let me watch_ , she thought. _They seem like great and fun pets to hang out with too._

She unmuted the TV and changed the TV channel to another channel that was currently airing a drama series. Felina was a fan of drama, so she decided to watch it. Sunil and Vinnie joined in and watched the drama series with her too because they just felt like doing so. They haven't given drama shows a chance yet, so this seems like a good opportunity.

After ten minutes into the drama series, Vinnie was awfully confused with what was happening on TV. "Wait, why is the guy getting arrested when he didn't do anything bad?"

"I think he is being framed for something he did not do." Sunil suggested.

"Yup," Felina said as she agreed, "Someone else was jealous of his reputation, so they framed him and tried to make him hated by the public."

Sunil and Vinnie gasped. "That is so unfair!" Sunil said. "Who would do such a thing?!"

"Well, there are some people who go too far to get what they want, Sunil." Felina said. It spooked him a little because it was quite true.

They continued watching the series, but Felina couldn't continue watching as she felt too guilty for taking over the TV immediately. Before, Sunil and Vinnie were enjoying their show, and they just handed the remote to Felina as soon as she approached them. She couldn't enjoy her TV show with the thought that Sunil and Vinnie are missing out on their other show.

"… I… don't feel like watching anymore…" Felina said as she returned the remote to Sunil. "It was nice hanging out, guys." She said and walked away, leaving the mongoose and gecko confused.

"Now look what you did, Sunil." Vinnie said to the mongoose in disappointment.

"What?! I did nothing!" Sunil argued.

Walking away, Felina was ready to interact with another pet.

 _Sunil and Vinnie are very nice_ , she thought. _But I do feel a little bad for taking over the TV. I'll hang out with them more later. They are sweet and fun._

Felina realized that she seemed to be the priority around here. _But maybe they are just a little bit too generous and caring to me_ , she thought. _Now that I think about it, the others have been like this too. I definitely remember that this isn't how they treated each other when they were my entourage… Why is everyone being too nice to me? First, Minka was so stressed because she was scared about what I'd think about her painting, and Penny Ling was so worried because she thought she made me sick even though it was all on me. And just now, Sunil and Vinnie handed me the remote as soon as I arrived and they insisted, even though they were missing out on their own show. Was it because I'm a celebrity?_ That's one thing that's concerning Felina. _I don't want to be treated like a celebrity; I want to be treated more like a friend. That was why I was happy to be here in the first place._

Walking around, Felina finds Pepper and Zoe nearby the large window; Pepper and Zoe seem to be just having a general discussion with each other. Felina likes to gossip and would really like to join in their discussion as well, but she wouldn't do so right now because of Zoe. She remembered when Zoe was glaring at Felina earlier when she arrived at the day camp, and Zoe didn't look happy. _I think she's in a bad mood. Maybe it's best to leave Zoe alone for now_ , Felina thought. _But then that means I'll have to leave Pepper too because Zoe's with her right now. I can always hang out with them next time._

Now there's only one pet she hasn't considered talking with yet until now. _I feel like hanging out with Russell,_ Felina thought. _I wanna know what he's up to. He did seem very friendly and nice._

Felina decided to head towards the area behind the purple armchair to find Russell because that's where he told her he'd be.

Russell was still sitting on the pillow, thinking about whether he should read Blythe's books. _You know, I've killed a lot of time just by thinking_ , he thought. _Maybe thinking should just be my new hobby…_

Felina saw the hedgehog on the pillow. This visual about him sitting on a pillow seemed… welcoming and inviting to Felina. It also felt warming… That's probably because she considered him such a nice guy. So, she decided to approach Russell.

"Hi, Russell." Felina greeted with a smile as she approached the hedgehog, but Russell was startled. He thought he was the last pet that Felina would hang out with, because he thought she'd get along with the others better than him.

"Oh, hi!" Russell said as he completely forgot about the books, "Are you enjoying your stay so far, Felina?"

"Totally! Minka's painted me an amazing painting, then I tried some bamboo stick with Penny Ling, and then I watch a bit of TV with Sunil and Vinnie."

"Sounds like you're having fun." Russell said.

"Yeah…" Felina said as she looked down slightly. She had the feeling that she may have been the ONLY one having fun.

Russell noticed her sounding unsure when she responded. _Is something bothering her?_ He thought. "Felina? What's the matter?" He asked.

Felina looked at Russell. "Well, it's just that the others are caring about me too much and they're being too generous, like I'm so important."

Russell understood her instantly and felt like he was the only one to blame as always. "I see… Sorry, it was all my fault. Earlier today, I told the others to care for you a lot, and respect you a lot and to let you enjoy your time here. But I see they've been too caring, and it just made you feel uncomfortable instead."

He got off the pillow, took out his notepad and pen, and took note of this. "Thanks for telling me, Felina. I'll let the others know and I'll make sure that you are treated better, ok?"

"Thank you so much." Felina said. "And don't worry… none of this is your fault."

 _I understand now_ , Felina thought. _So, Russell cares for me? He wanted me to be cared for a lot and respected a lot? And he wanted me to enjoy my time here? He cares a lot for me… That's… That's so sweet of him…_

Russell smiled and felt better as he hears her saying it wasn't his fault. _She's pretty sweet_ , he thought. "I'm glad to help you, Felina… And thanks for understanding. Are there any other concerns you'd like to share with me?"

"Oh, um… do you have food that suit my needs?" Felina asked; she seriously didn't want to go through weeks eating food like that bamboo again. She misses expensive and high quality food already!

Russell realized that she eats luxury food, then looked up from his notepad with an awkward smile. "I forgot all about that. Um… Are you hungry right now?"

"Not really."

He felt relieved, "Ok, good. I'll just ask Blythe later to buy expensive and high quality cat food. How does that sound?"

"That sounds nice."

Russell nodded and took note of that on the notepad. _This cat food sure is going to cost us a fortune_ , he thought. _But I'm sure it's fine._

"Ok, I'll take care of it. Sorry about the pets making you feel a little uncomfortable earlier, Felina." Russell apologized. "It's just that I thought you had a different lifestyle back home, and because you're a celebrity, that's why we may have acted too generous."

Felina smiled at him, "Don't worry about it, Russell. I understand, it's alright. It's actually really nice that you all care about me. But, I just want you all to treat me like how you normally treat each other, like friends."

"Thanks, and I'll make sure that happens, Felina." Russell promised and smiled. _Felina is really sweet_ , he thought. _I can't believe she's changed this much from being mean and bossy when we were her entourage before. I want to be closer friends with her. I want to get to know her more._

Russell really wanted to get to know Felina more personally, like what her lifestyle is like back home, or how she became a celebrity in the first place, and a lot more things about her. But this all seems a little too soon to ask right now; he's only just started hanging out with her. Maybe when they are more comfortable and closer with each other, then he might ask her with confidence.

 _Russell is such a wonderful guy_ , Felina thought. _He's already solved my problems, and he's so sweet. I'm glad he's around. I want to be closer friends with him. I want to get to know him more._

Even Felina found Russell really sweet and she wanted to be closer friends with him too. She really wanted to get to know Russell more personally, like how he first met his friends, and what he means to them, and if he personally knows other celebrities, and a lot more things about him. But this all seems a little too soon to ask right now; she's only just started hanging out with him. Maybe when they are more comfortable and closer with each other, then she might ask him with confidence.

She also wondered if Zoe was alright. "Is everything ok with Zoe? She didn't seem happy when I arrived."

Russell unnoticeably twitched as he heard her ask about Zoe; he didn't want her to know someone was jealous of her. "…Don't worry about Zoe. She's just in a bad mood today. She'll be better tomorrow."

Felina sighed in relief, thinking that Zoe's mood had nothing to do with her… except it did.

Felina then wondered what Russell was doing here before she came here. She looked around the area and spotted a pile of books nearby. "Were you reading?" She asked.

Russell looked at the books. "Yeah, I was just reading this book. It's about a detective who is on a quest to find someone that's behind the conquest of a jungle."

"That sounds interesting." She commented, and then looked at other books nearby. She spotted a pink book which catches her eye. Felina approached this pink book and checked it out. "A romance novel? Do you like romance novels?"

Russell quickly blushed in embarrassment as he quickly answered, "N-No! That's n-not mine anyway! Blythe just lent me those books because I wanted a new book to read, but I'm not really a fan of romance books."

"Really?" Felina asked, "Have you read romance novels before?"

This was the same question Zoe asked him earlier. "N-No." He answered.

Felina just had an idea, and then felt excited about it. But why?

Well, Felina finds Russell nice and comfortable to be around. Felina wants to be closer friends with Russell, and she wants to do something fun with him. Perhaps reading a book together sounds nice. She thought about it.

 _Imagine it… Two close friends, resting close to each other on a pillow, enjoying a romance novel together… That sounds amazing!_ She thought.

Also, this feels like a new thing she can experience with him as she hasn't read this book before either. She figured that might get them both closer.

"I haven't read this either." She said, "Wanna read it together?"

"…H-Huh?" Russell asked as he looked at her in surprise.

Felina held the pink, glittery book and brought it to Russell. "Well, we both haven't read this book before. So… wanna read this book together?"

Russell thought about it. _Felina really wants to read this book with me?! That's so sweet of her… I can read it with her… Of course, I'll read it with her! She's wonderful._

 _Reading the book with her sounds like fun._ Russell wanted to be closer friends with her too, that was the main reason why he wanted to read it with her. _Resting with her on a pillow and enjoying a romance novel with her sounds delightful,_ he thought.

"Ok." Russell said with a smile, "Let's read it."

"You'll read it with me?" Felina asked, feeling happy.

"Of course, I will." Russell said with a smile as he sat back on the large pillow. He patted on an empty space next to him on the pillow, signaling her to come and sit next to him. It felt so welcoming and inviting, just like how Felina pictured it… but it also felt so heart-warming…

Without haste, Felina smiled as she brought the pink book with her and sat next to Russell on the large pillow. Resting close to the hedgehog on the pillow, Felina moved closer to Russell and adjusted herself on the pillow to feel comfortable.

Both resting close to each other on the pillow, Russell and Felina happily opened the pink book and started reading the first page together…


End file.
